Recently in “Galleries”


IMG_3390.jpg
IMG_3386.jpg
IMG_3388.jpg
IMG_3389.jpg
IMG_3391.jpg
IMG_3393.jpg
IMG_3402 B.jpg
It's the final days of summer 2010 ........

And I'm off to the beach to catch the last rays of sun, have a picnic & play!!!!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!!!!


Reinoso_Huge Sudeley Bench_Back 2.jpg
Pablo Reinoso  HUGE SUDELEY BENCH  Painted Steel
Conceived in 2010,  Edition of 8 + 4 AP's

AVL_Wellness Skull Castle.jpg
Atelier Van Lieshout   WELLNESS SKULL  Fiberglass, Polystyrene & Plywood 
Conceived 2007,  Edition of 3

Brajkovic_Lathe X.jpg
Sebastian Brajkovic  LATHE X  Aluminium
Conceived in 2010,  Edition 8 + 4 AP's

Scoccimaro_Giant Jar 2.jpg
Lionel Scoccimaro  GIANT JAR  Painted Aluminium
Conceived in 2010,  Edition of 8 + 4 AP's

Studio Job_Pouring Jug II 2.jpg
Studio Job  POURING JUG  Polished & Painted Bronze
Conceived in 2008 & Cast in 2010,  Unique

Wanders_Bon Bon Gold2.jpg
Marcel Wanders BON BON GOLD  Resin, Rope, & Precious Metal
Conceived in 2010,  Edition of 20 + 2 AP's

This exciting "selling exhibition," a joint venture between Sotheby's UK, Studley Castle, and Carpenters Workshop Gallery showcases a series of one-off and limited edition pieces by leading international contemporary designers and artists. The works are utilitarian pieces that can work as functional objects or pieces that can be appreciated as works of art with "profound aesthetic appeal.

According to Alexander Planton & Simon Stock, Sotheby's curators of the Sudeley exhibition "Contemporary design is an area of the international art market that ha been making waves in recent years and the Sudeley show will present works by some of the boldest and most visionary talents in the field of design today."

Carpenters Workshop in London, one of the premier galleries featuring contemporary design, is know for encouraging up-and-coming young artists, as well as presenting extraordinary works from established artists such as Ron Arad, Marteen bas, Wendell Castle. This joint venture is the latest project that the gallery is involved in "to promote the careers and foster the careers of contemporary designers through exhibiting unique and limited-edition works in solo and group exhibitions and at international art and design fairs. It also aims to expose the public to the latest design aesthetic, enriching and enlightening the contemporary design landscape and discourse."

Sudeley Castle is located in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire. It was the royal household of Queen Katherine Parr during Tudor times. It is currently the home of Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family, who are dedicated to the restoration of the castle and it's gardens, with a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability. Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst has presented several exhibitions at the castle and says of this installation ..... "A thousand years of history at Sudeley represents a thousand years of design and creation and it is wonderful to be presenting such a current and visually exciting exhibition that is in such striking contrast to the historic castle itself."

I think this unique exhibition .....  the scope of the work is brilliant, 
and the stunning surroundings add an extraordinary dimension to the collection!!!!



tb01.jpg
tb02.jpg
tb03.jpg
tb04.jpg
Low-tech materials meet traditional craft skills, in Dutch designer Tord Boontje's innovative "tatted" raffia lighting pieces exhibited at Marsden Woo Gallery, London. "The Lacemaker," this installation of Boontje's latest works, rethinks our traditional concept of what lace is. According to this world renowned designer, also the Head of Design products at the Royal College of Art, "With lace, all the value is invested in the labour and so it seemed a good idea to start working with cheap materials ... but also, by changing the material you can change the references." In addition to the lighting pieces, the exhibition has a collection of other "lace" works ...... a black webbed sofa, lace screens, a raffia trimmed mirror, a raffia dress, and a selection of jewlery.

This collection is inspired by Boontje's participation in an exhibition at the University of Philadelphia's Design Center, "Lace in Transition." He spent three days immersed in the Center's archives, studying the collection of the Quaker Lace Company, resulting in a unique collection of his own designs.

I love Boontje's simplicity of materials & innovative designs ......
used to create these fabulous "accessorations." 

They pieces are modern in visual and vintage in inspiration!!!


IMG_2832.jpg
IMG_2829.jpgIMG_2831.jpg
IMG_2840.jpg
IMG_2833.jpg
IMG_2834.jpg
IMG_2842.jpg
I am a collector supreme & collections are one of my favorite "accessorations" ......
 Of course, I think two or more of anything is a collection!!! 
 
I know building a collection takes time .... but if you're in a rush .... I've found a quick fix!!!

Internationally known, Cuban-born interior designer and author Vicente Wolf can be a big help!!!! His 3000 sq. foot Manhattan loft features VW HOME, an internationally sourced selection of furniture, lighting, & accessories all reflecting Vicente's style ........ and includes a series of "collections of collections"!!!! 

So, if time is of the essence and you don't really want to "collect"..... 
But, would rather "accessorate" immediately .... 
this is the place to go!!!!


IMG_0602.jpg
IMG_0574.jpg
IMG_0579.jpg
IMG_0598.jpg
IMG_0600.jpg

IMG_0593.jpg
IMG_0590.jpg
IMG_0583.jpg
IMG_0587.jpg
IMG_0584.jpg

IMG_0604.jpg
My secret weapon ..... my style mecca .... my first stop,
immediately upon my arrival in London, is egg!!!! 
NO KIDDING!!!!
 
For over 15 years, I have headed from Heathrow Airport, to my hotel to check-in, then to a tiny street in Knightsbridge ....... home to my friend Maureen Doherty's wonderful shop!!!  Maureen, the original muse to Issey Miyake, has created a unique, one-off shopping experience that is almost a "trade secret"!!!!  It is so special, that there is a long list of fashion-folk who collect her treasures (I ran into Bruce Weber there this week!!!), and have asked her to either open a shop in NYC or to sell her things in our stores ...... the answer is always NO!!! I have found over the years that Maureen rarely changes her mind, no matter how often you ask ...... whether me, Donna Karan, or Dawn Mello!!!!

This unique English store is a white-washed former stable with the most fabulous original details ..... giant white barn doors, rambling uneven cobblestone floors, white wooden slab shelves, and a vintage oak dinning table with classic Thonet chairs ..... all creating the perfect ambience for Maureen to curate her own fabulous clothing-art installation!!! The store is home to the most fantastic collection of  "white  everything" ....shirts, dresses, pants, jackets etc ....... always accented with natural, black, grey, and a touch of denim!!!! And every once in a while, color pops up ever-so-slightly ...... this trip there were two green shades and a tiny touch of yellow!!!

I think of Maureen as the master of the "zen" of dresing ..... non-trendy or fashiony, comfortable and easy, unrestricted, relaxed, and always made with natural fibers ....... everything is meant to be layered, loose, and unconstructed!!! Of course, in the world of egg, nothing ever goes out of style .... NEVER!!!! These clothes are for "trendy fashionista's," rather they are meant for "clothing collectors"!!!! 

Because I am in London so often, I am lucky enough to add to my "egg collection" several times a year, always white shirts, maybe a coat or sweater or both .......  and of course, great accessories; scarves, jewelry, hats ..... anything goes!!! I have absolutely no control at eggl!!! So what, nothing ever goes out of fashion ...... in fact, in April, Maureen asked to borrow a "vinatge egg" coat that I was wearing, she wanted to re-invent it for next season!!! Of course, I left it for her and she gave me one of her own divine coats to wear in Milan ..... actually it was a coat that I'm sorry I didn't buy, way back when!!!!! 

So, I'm sharing my best "accessoration" but remember ........ please
leave the large's for me!!!!!

IMG_0793.jpg
Thumbnail image for Big bag.jpgTwo bag details.jpg
MOVING STORIES I, II, III   MATTHEW RAW
white grogged earthenware

IMG_0796.jpg
IMG_0800.jpg
IMG_0798.jpg

IMG_0799.jpg
TRéSOR DéCOUVERT   AMY JAYNE HUGHES
reduction-fired porcelain

IMG_0869.jpg
IMG_0871.jpg
IMG_0870.jpg

IMG_0873.jpg
SEVENTY FOUR THREADS OF LIFE   HANNE MANNHEIMER
porcelain,wool, thread,metal,wool

IMG_0817.jpg
IMG_0814.jpg
IMG_0816.jpg

IMG_0819.jpg
TRINARY 2010   KOJI SHIRAYA
porcelain, feldspar

The very different work by these 4 artists captivated me at 
the RCA Graduate show last week, and I had to 
share their pieces with you!!!
 
I adore ceramics and the Royal College of Art in London has the premier ceramics & glass master degree program in the world!!!!  I am lucky enough to own a number of pieces from past RCA graduates and last week I was lucky enough to see the Summer RCA Graduate show ..... and fortunate enough to add several pieces to my collection!!! 

The artist's speak best about their own work ..........

MATTHEW RAW-  "I have created sculptural ceramic forms in reaction to the current situation of people seeking asylum in the UK. My aesthetic response has developed at the RCA to integrate these two elements. Rather than rely on second-hand accounts, I have actively sought out real-life stories. With this language I have fused a relationship between the structure and the narrative: form lead by content."

AMY JAYNE HUGHES- "Symbolic of an important time in Ceramic history. the collection bridges the gap between the past and the present, finding a new home in contemporary culture. The pieces speak of the highly prestigious Porcelain wares produced at the Royal Sévres Factory in the late 17th and 18th Centuries. Objects d'art produced there were so refined and tightly controlled they carried no visible suggestion of their material identity. and so lavishly decorated that each detail was left in competition on the surface, striving to attract attention. In contract, through fresh interpretation the clay body and its material qualities are both elevated and celebrated."

HANNE MANNHEIMER-  "More often than not, it begins with a found object, like the texture of a thread or the memory of a porcelain figure. Sometimes, the found can be a story, even a few words describing something or a feeling that needs to be made in a tactile and fragile material. The combination of the found and the made, a tangible object and an abstract idea is what motivates me the most. This allows the material qualities of the clay to interact with the refined details of the found elements. I love the clumsy, awkward and sometimes ugly qualities that can be found in old and discarded objects with inherent narratives, suggesting the passage of time."

KOJI SHIRAYA-  "Man lives out daily contradictions in his relationship with nature. in my work I express the harmony of nature's beauty and man's use of it. By using only two materials, porcelain and feldspar, I have controlled their reaction at a specific level of heat. Porcelain and feldspar are naturally occurring materials, and in combination, under controlled heat, they change in expression from solid to fluid. My intention is to offer a place of contemplation , bringing nature closer to us, and magnifying detail of its reality."


bourgeois.jpg
Louise-Bourgeois_Self-Portrait-2009-(BOUR-003)-.jpg
Self Portrait (2009)

Thumbnail image for Louise-Bourgeois_Self-Portrait-2009-BOUR-003.jpg
Louise-Bourgeois_Self-Portrait-2009-BOUR-0032.jpg
details

Louise Bourgeois (1911 - 2010) has been an incredible force in the art world for over 70 years. She was "one of a kind," unique, an individual ....... her work was that of a woman "searching" her life. Nothing was off-limits  ..... she delved into every crevice of her being. She subjected her insides and outsides to public scrutiny, and was fearless in her exploration of self. She didn't care what critics had to say, she worked outside the boundaries of being a woman ..... she made feminism a part of her process. She lived "between two worlds, within two languages ..... male and female, order and chaos." Working endlessly she created an enormous body of work that will be with us forever.

I would like to share one of the last pieces she made for her French gallery, Galerie Piece Unique. Owned by my friends, Marussa Gravagnuolo  & Christine Lahoud, I was lucky enough to see this work in Paris and longed to live with it!!!!!

The piece has a fabulous history ..... the original piece of cloth, with the initials LB was found by Marussa & Christine during their travels. The initialed piece of antique linen appeared to be a sign and was meant for only one person!!! They lovingly hand-carried the piece to New York to Louise, and she promised to make a unique work to be shown at the gallery. 

In her 98th year, Self Portrait (2009) was presented at the gallery. Bourgeois created a clock of 24 hours, representing her life. The hands of the clock stand a 19h11 - the year of her birth. The 24 images placed at each hour reveal her history .... a self-portrait of memories ..... childhood, couple, maternity and family, and the themes of her art, are all etched in dry point and sewn to the linen. 

The piece is stunning and I am so thrilled that I was privy to it's story!!!


villa_necchi_campiglio_500.jpg
IMG_3540.jpg
SNAKE COFFEE TABLE, CARLO CONTIN 2006 for MERITALIA

IMG_3537.jpg
BRASILIA TABLES, COMPANA BROTHERS, 2006 for EDRA

Thumbnail image for IMG_3545.jpg
MUMMY CHAIR, PETER TRAAG, 2005 for EDRA 

IMG_3561.jpg
MIRROR, ETTORE SOTTSASS, 2007 for GLAS ITALIA

IMG_3565.jpg
CHAIR, DOMINIQUE PERRAULT & GAELLE LAURIOT-PREVOST, 2009 for 
SAWAYA & MORONI

IMG_3567.jpg
NAKED LEGO TABLE, GILES MILLER, 2009 

IMG_3574.jpg
GEO ART CARPET, LUCA NICHETTO, 2009 for NODUS

IMG_3556.jpg
PROVA PRIMA DINNERWARE, PAOLA NAVONE, 2009 for RICHARD GINORI

IMG_3582.jpg
IMG_3584.jpg

LEFT CHAIR, PIET HEIN EEK, 2005 ...... RIGHT CHAIR NAOTO FUKASAWA, 2009 for B&B ITALIA

IMG_3579.jpg
SATURN STOOL, EDWARD BARBER & JAY OSGERBY, 2008 for CLASSICON

IMG_3601.jpg
VALISE WARDROBE, MAARTEN DE CEULAER, 2008 for CASAMANIA

IMG_3608.jpg
PXL LAMP, FREDRIK MATTSON, 2007 for ZERO 

IMG_3621.jpg
CLAY CHAIR, MAARTEN BAS, 2006 

IMG_3595.jpg
IMG_3596.jpg
THE ROCKING CHICKEN RIDE CERAMIC, JAIME HAYON, 2008 for LLADRO

Blending the historical richness of the architect of the houses and their 
antiques, with the work of contemporary designers results 
in an amazing design dialogue, which we 
were so lucky to experience!!! 

One of the fantastic things about getting stuck in Milan, while the Icelandic volcano spewed ash, was getting to visit two of the four Milanese House Museums, homes with a unique combination of period architecture and antiques, with the addition of contemporary design ...... old and new working in tandem, showing how contemporary furniture and objects belong everywhere!!!!

I was particularly taken with the Villa Necchi Campiglio, a residence built in the 1930's, designed by architect Piero Portaluppi. The interiors were created by a collection of important Italian designers and decorators of the period, including Albini-Palanti, Buzzi, Marelli, and Ulrich. After the war, an extensive collection of antique furniture was added. 

"As such, today the Villa allows cutting-edge design to come face-to-face, and engage in an intelligent game of contrast, with both the pure lines of 30's design - as occurs, for example, through the sitting of the De Ceulaer wardrobe in the prince's bathroom - and with the antique elements, as demonstrated by the dynamic Wrong lamp that stands against the Louis XV armchairs and sofas in the Drawing Room."

Make Your Own Chair @ Artek!!!!!!!


IMG_6137.jpg
IMG_6136.jpg
IMG_6132.jpg

IMG_6133.jpg
IMG_6135.jpgArtek founded in 1935 and based in Finland, is one of the most innovative contributors to modern design. They presented several new pieces in Milan at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi, including "Dress the Chair," a Missoni upholstered version of Armchair 400 by Alvar Aalto (see blog 4/22/10) and a modular shelving unit from Naoto Fukasawa.   

In addition, they exhibited SEDIA 1, designed by Enzo Mari in 1974 as part of the thought-provoking project "Autoprogettazione." Mari was a designer, thinker, and provocateur whose goal was "to mass produce objects without compromising his belief that the outcome should always be beautiful to look at and feel while being functional." He created over 200 objects and this is the first piece that is being produced by Artek. The chair comes in a box containing a  precut set of pine boards, nails, and instructions for it's creation. According to Mari, "Design is always education."

AS 10111.jpg
NOSE, 2010 oil on canvas, 90 x 84 inches

AS 10115.jpg
DRAWER, 2010 oil on canvas, 84 x 90 inches

AS 10116.jpg
JUNKER, 2009 oil on canvas, 84.625 x 90.5 inches

AS 9933 blue diagram sm.jpg
BLUE DIAGRAM, 2009 oil on canvas, 90.75 x 84.75 inches

Amy Sillman's paintings at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. are extraordinary!!!! I am awed by the incredible use of color, gesture, and composition in each work ...... they are eye-candy and I want to crawl into them and wander around!!! Gallery owner Brent Sikkema told me that Amy belongs to an informal reading group of Williamsburg artists, and that they were reading about color theory, which influenced these paintings. Undoubtedly!!!!

In addition to the paintings, there are two sublime suites of drawings, one beginning with a simple drawing of a light bulb which "transforms into a flashlight, which turns into s medium for self-reflective investigation." The shown titled Transformer (...or, how many lightbulbs does it take to change a painting) runs until May 15th .

Stop everything ....... run to Chelsea, it's a must see!!!!


IMG_7065.jpg
MOROSO 2010

IMG_5709.jpg
UNKNOWN @ MOSCHINO 

IMG_6442.jpg
IMG_6443.jpg

MARTINO GAMPER @ GALLERY NULIFAR

IMG_6162.jpg
VINTAGE @ ROSANNA ORLANDI

IMG_7517.jpg
RICHARD HUTTEN @ INSTALLATION IN THE BRERA

IMG_7221.jpg
GAETANO PESCE @ TRIENNALE DESIGN MUSEUM

IMG_7489.jpg
"YOUNOW' BY FLORENCE JAFFRAIN INSTALLATION IN THE BRERA

IMG_3534.jpg
IMG_3533.jpg

UNKNOWN @ VILLA NECCHI CAMPIGLIO

IMG_6173.jpg
ALVAR AALTO'S ARMCHAIR 400 UPHOLSTERY BY MISSION @ ARTEK

Chairs fall into the "favorite accessory" category ........ and Milan 
was full of them. These are just few ....... many, 
many more to follow!!!!!

IMG_6825.jpg
IMG_6798.jpg
IMG_6799.jpg

IMG_6800.jpg
IMG_6801.jpg

IMG_6816.jpg
IMG_6818.jpg


IMG_6806.jpg
IMG_6807.jpg
IMG_6820.jpg
Italian designer, Paola Navone's fabulous creation, "Theatrical Creations in Tones of Blue" was designed for Venetian glass company Barovier & Toso for their installation at the Milan Fair at  Zona Tortona. The installation is a series of rooms, featuring vignettes or scenes, created by stunning glass pieces ....... all in the "Yves Klein Blue."  Each unique design incorporates light, some form of repetition ....... and is magical on it's own, but as an installation it is extraordinary!!! 

Navone says, "I find inspiration in most thing. It's a mental attitude. If you look and touch you can always find something interesting-a shape,a colour, a texture. It's a 24 hour exercise to capture all of these elements."

I am awed by Paola Navone ......... not only is she amazingly talented, but she is incredibly prolific!!!! In the past two weeks I have seen three works by Navone ........ this installation, and an incredible installation at Few & Far in London ( to be featured next week!!) and a fantasy sculpture that is part of the exhibition Tra le Briccole di Venezia  at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan. This piece is so stunning that I am also writing about it tomorrow as a separate piece!!!!


IMG_6195.jpg
IMG_6192.jpg
IMG_6196.jpg
Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek presented these fabulous fixtures at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi in Milan this week. The fixtures continue his pursuit of "recycling & reviving" ....... he took a collection of vintage glass lighting parts and created stunning chandeliers!!! The lamps sit inside metals rods and are strung together, creating various circular and vertical fixtures. 

I adore these light fixtures!!! They are exciting, innovative, & exceptional ........ 
chic, modern, and recycled vintage!!!!


eye01.jpg
London based designer Sabastian Bergne "EYE" iznik ceramics, 
based on the evil eye

marie01.jpg
French design studio 5.5 Designers  "CUSINE D'OBJETS" lamps created 
from everyday objects

Communicator-by-Marti-Guixe-for-Alessi-8.jpg
Catalan designer Marti Guixé, "COMMUNICATOR" for Alessi, containers with 
arrows & speech bubbles where user can write messages

neo01.jpg
Dutch design Studio Sjoerd Jonkers, "NEOCLASTIC VASES," collection of 
10 objects in handmade cast in sand molds in 
a variety of colors, shapes & sizes

ff01.jpg
Dutch based, Italian design duo Studio Formafantasma, "AUTARCHY," 
a collection of functional objects, vessels, & lamps baked at low 
temperatures, made of bio-materials

memory05.jpg
Japanese designer, Tokujin Yoshioka "MEMORY CHAIR" for Morosco, chair 
created from new fabric, made from recycled aluminum, 
that changes shape when sat upon or touched

emeco01.jpg
 Emeco "111 Navy Chair," combining of two iconic brands, chairs made from 60% recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles in combination with other materials for 
strength, same shape as the original 1944 chair made for the navy

plinto_001.jpg
Italian designer Luca Nichetto "Plinto," designed for Skitsch, stackable stool/table made from concrete blocks in parallelepiped  shape, similar to those used at construction sites, usable indoors and out, with handle for stacking

IMG_4606.jpg
Pieke Bergmans, "Light Bulb Installation" each unique

IMG_4608.jpg
Thomas Lemut, "Table Basse" table created from 15 different metals, unique

IMG_4609.jpg
Max Lamb, yellow polystyrene tables coated in rubber, unique

IMG_4607.jpg
Phillip Maloun, "Rocco" recliner in powder coated steel and nylon, edition of 4

IMG_4604.jpg
Stephen Johnson, assorted brass plated found-object sculptures, unique

Studio Glithero, "Les French Family" 10 paper wrapped cabinets on 
bronze cast bamboo stands, unique

Valerio Capo and Sam Pratt, owners of the Gallery Fumi, have put together a collection of work from some of the finest, emerging & established designers in the contemporary design world. The gallery, opened in early 2008, is a well-lite, two story, bare-brick walled space that "plays nicely" with the work that is exhibited!!!! Included in the well-curated collection is furniture, lighting, accessories, and artworks.

For these gallerists, design is the "art-form" they have chosen to collect ..... and they have  selected to exhibit the work of designer's, whose pieces they would have in their own personal collection. They commission pieces exclusively for the gallery, both unique works and limited editions. The result of their selection is a very well edited collection of interesting, innovative, and exciting designs. Included in the galleries list of international artists is Max Lamb, Raw Edges, Nacho CarbonellPaul Kelley, Kranen/Gille Studio, and Federico Uribe. In addition, they have worked with both the Royal College of Art in London and ECAL in Lausanne, Switzerland on a project, An Object Which Enables Reflection, where students competed with each other to rethink the mirror. The project was judged by a panel of "design experts" and the winning prototypes were exhibited at the gallery. 

Valerio and Sam are not trapped by "old think," they have no preconceived ideas, and are creative in their exploration of the concept of a gallery. They are working from the heart, fearlessly ....... showing innovative, new design in a very difficult financial environment. I applaud their enthusiasm, creativity, and taste!!!!!

I am madly in-love with the "dripping" bulb pieces by Pieke Bergman and  
can't wait to have one in my house!!!!!!

  Next